The Best New German Cinema Movies Of All-Time
“What are the best New German Cinema Movies?” We looked at 96 of the top New German Cinema films, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!
The top 20 films, all appearing on 3 or more “Best New German Cinema” movie lists, are ranked below by how many times they appear. The remaining 75+ movies, as well as the sources we used, are in alphabetical order on the bottom of the page.
Happy Scrolling!
Top 20 Best New German Cinema Movies Ever Made
20 .) Fox and His Friends (1975) directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Lists It Appears On:
- Flick Chart
- IMDB
- Wikipedia
Fox, a former circus performer, wins the lottery of DM 500,000 and can now have the life and things that he has always wanted. While he wants to climb up the social ladder, it isn’t without turmoil, and being torn between his old working class roots, and the shiny new facade of middle class consciousness.
19 .) I’m an Elephant, Madame directed by Peter Zadek
Lists It Appears On:
- Film School Rejects
- Film School Rejects
- MUBI
I’m an Elephant, Madame ( Ich bin ein Elefant, Madame) follows a class of high school students in 1968 Bremen during their last year at school, their lessons, their protests, their private life. Focuses in particular on the troublemaker & provocateur Rull who in his apolitical chaotic way takes on both the authoritarian school administration and the leftist protesters.
18 .) Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) directed by Werner Herzog
Lists It Appears On:
- Flick Chart
- IMDB
- Wikipedia
Jonathan Harker, a real state agent, goes to Transylvania to visit the mysterious Count Dracula and formalize the purchase of a property in Wismar. Once Jonathan is caught under his evil spell, Dracula travels to Wismar where he meets the beautiful Lucy, Jonathan’s wife, while a plague spreads through the town, now ruled by death.
17 .) Paris, Texas (1984) directed by Wim Wenders
Lists It Appears On:
- Flick Chart
- Taste Of Cinema
- Wikipedia
A man wanders out of the desert not knowing who he is. His brother finds him, and helps to pull his memory back of the life he led before he walked out on his family and disappeared four years earlier.
16 .) Stroszek (1977) directed by Werner Herzog
Lists It Appears On:
- Classic Art Films
- Flick Chart
- IMDB
Bruno Stroszek is released from prison and warned to stop drinking. He has few skills and fewer expectations: with a glockenspiel and an accordion, he ekes out a living as a street musician. He befriends Eva, a prostitute down on her luck and they join his neighbor, Scheitz, an elderly eccentric, when he leaves Germany to live in Wisconsin.
15 .) The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972) directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Lists It Appears On:
- Flick Chart
- IMDB
- MUBI
Petra von Kant is a successful fashion designer – arrogant, caustic, and self-satisfied. She mistreats Marlene (her secretary, maid, and co-designer). Enter Karin, a 23-year-old beauty who wants to be a model. Petra falls in love with Karin and invites her to move in.
14 .) The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974) directed by Werner Herzog
Lists It Appears On:
- Flick Chart
- IMDB
- MUBI
The film follows Kaspar Hauser (Bruno S.), who lived the first seventeen years of his life chained in a tiny cellar with only a toy horse to occupy his time, devoid of all human contact except for a man who wears a black overcoat and top hat who feeds him.
13 .) World on a Wire (1973) directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Lists It Appears On:
- Flick Chart
- Taste Of Cinema
- Wikipedia
Cybernetics engineer Fred Stiller uncovers a massive corporate conspiracy involving a virtual reality computer project.
12 .) Yesterday Girl (1966) directed by Alexander Kluge
Lists It Appears On:
- Film School Rejects
- MUBI
- Wikipedia
Yesterday Girl is an acerbic, deliriously fractured, incisive, and darkly comic satire on a young German woman (and archetypal embodiment of the postwar generation), Anita G.’s (Alexandra Kluge) search for happiness, liberation, and independence in the illusive wake of a transformative national recovery
11 .) Young Törless (1966) directed by Volker Schlöndorff
Lists It Appears On:
- Film School Rejects
- MUBI
- Wikipedia
At an Austrian boys’ boarding school in the early 1900s, shy, intelligent Törless observes the sadistic behavior of his fellow students, doing nothing to help a victimized classmate—until the torture goes too far. Adapted from Robert Musil’s acclaimed novel, Young Törless launched the New German Cinema movement and garnered the 1966 Cannes Film Festival International Critics’ Prize for first-time director Volker Schlöndorff.
10 .) Alice in the Cities (1974) directed by Wim Wenders
Lists It Appears On:
- Flick Chart
- IMDB
- MUBI
- Wikipedia
German journalist Philip Winter has a case of writer’s block when trying to write an article about the United States. He decides to return to Germany, and while trying to book a flight, encounters a German woman and her nine year old daughter Alice doing the same. The three become friends (almost out of necessity) and while the mother asks Winter to mind Alice temporarily, it quickly becomes apparent that Alice will be his responsibility for longer than he expected. After returning to Europe, the innocent friendship between Winter and Alice grows as they travel together through various European cities on a quest for Alice’s grandmother. ×
9 .) Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Lists It Appears On:
- Film School Rejects
- Flick Chart
- White City Cinema
- Wikipedia
Berlin Alexanderplatz, originally broadcast in 1980, is a 14-part television film adapted and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder from the Alfred Döblin novel of the same name, and stars Günter Lamprecht, Hanna Schygulla, Barbara Sukowa, Elisabeth Trissenaar and Gottfried John. The complete film is 15½ hours long.
8 .) Marianne & Juliane (1981) directed by Margarethe von Trotta
Lists It Appears On:
- Film School Rejects
- IMDB
- Taste Of Cinema
- Wikipedia
Germany, 1968: The priest’s daughters Marianna and Juliane both fight for changes in society, like making abortion legal. However their means are totally different: while Juliane’s committed as a reporter, her sister joins a terroristic organization. After she’s caught by the police and put into isolation jail, Juliane remains as her last connection to the rest of the world. Although she doesn’t accept her sister’s arguments and her boyfriend Wolfgang doesn’t want her to, Juliane keeps on helping her sister. She begins to question the way her sister is treated. ×
7 .) The Tin Drum (1979) directed by Volker Schlöndorff
Lists It Appears On:
- Flick Chart
- IMDB
- Taste Of Cinema
- Wikipedia
Oskar is born in Germany in 1924 with an advanced intellect. Repulsed by the hypocrisy of adults and the irresponsibility of society, he refuses to grow older after his third birthday.
6 .) Fitzcarraldo (1982) directed by Werner Herzog
Lists It Appears On:
- Classic Art Films
- Flick Chart
- IMDB
- Taste Of Cinema
- Wikipedia
Fitzcarraldo is a dreamer who plans to build an opera house in Iquitos, in the Peruvian Amazon, so, in order to finance his project, he embarks on an epic adventure to collect rubber, a very profitable product, in a remote and unexplored region of the rainforest.
5 .) The American Friend (1977) directed by Wim Wenders
Lists It Appears On:
- Film School Rejects
- Flick Chart
- Taste Of Cinema
- White City Cinema
- Wikipedia
Tom Ripley, who deals in forged art, suggests a picture framer he knows would make a good hit man.
4 .) The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum (1975) directed by Volker Schlöndorff
Lists It Appears On:
- Film School Rejects
- IMDB
- Taste Of Cinema
- White City Cinema
- Wikipedia
After a chance encounter with a man, a woman is harassed by the police and she takes violent action.
3 .) The Marriage of Maria Braun (1978) directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Lists It Appears On:
- Film School Rejects
- Flick Chart
- IMDB
- Taste Of Cinema
- Wikipedia
Near the end of World War II, Maria marries Hermann, who is immediately sent off to battle. When the war concludes, Maria believes that Hermann is dead. She starts working at an Allied bar, where she meets American soldier Bill. They start a relationship that is interrupted when Hermann returns alive. During a scuffle between the men, Maria accidentally kills Bill. Hermann takes the blame and goes to jail, while Maria begins a hard new life.
2 .) Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) directed by Werner Herzog
Lists It Appears On:
- Film School Rejects
- Flick Chart
- IMDB
- MUBI
- Taste Of Cinema
- White City Cinema
- Wikipedia
A few decades after the destruction of the Inca empire, a Spanish expedition leaves the mountains of Peru and goes down the Amazon river in search of gold and wealth. Soon, they come across great difficulties and Don Aguirre, a ruthless man who cares only about riches, becomes their leader. But will his quest lead them to “the golden city”, or to certain destruction?
1 .) Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974) directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Lists It Appears On:
- Film School Rejects
- Flick Chart
- HLC Cult Critic
- IMDB
- MUBI
- Taste Of Cinema
- Wikipedia
Emmi Kurowski, a cleaning lady, is lonely in her old age. Her husband died years ago, and her grown children offer little companionship. One night she goes to a bar frequented by Arab immigrants and strikes up a friendship with middle-aged mechanic Ali. Their relationship soon develops into something more, and Emmi’s family and neighbors criticize their spontaneous marriage. Soon Emmi and Ali are forced to confront their own insecurities about their future.
The 75+ Additional Best New German Cinema Films
| # | Movies | Directors | Lists |
| 21 | Artists Under the Big Top: Perplexed (1968) | MUBI | |
| – | – | – | Wikipedia |
| 22 | Even Dwarfs Started Small | Flick Chart | |
| – | – | – | MUBI |
| 23 | Germany in Autumn (1978) | Taste Of Cinema | |
| – | – | – | Wikipedia |
| 24 | Germany, Pale Mother | Film School Rejects | |
| – | – | – | White City Cinema |
| 25 | Heart of Glass (1976) | Werner Herzog | Flick Chart |
| – | – | – | IMDB |
| 26 | Hitler: A Film from Germany (1977) | Hans-Jürgen Syberberg | IMDB |
| – | – | – | White City Cinema |
| 27 | Lola (1981) | Flick Chart | |
| – | – | – | Wikipedia |
| 28 | Machorka-Muff (1963) | Taste Of Cinema | |
| – | – | – | Wikipedia |
| 29 | Part-Time Work of a Domestic Slave | MUBI | |
| – | – | – | White City Cinema |
| 30 | The Second Awakening of Christa Klages (1978) | Taste Of Cinema | |
| – | – | – | Wikipedia |
| 31 | Under the Pavement Lies the Strand (1975) | Taste Of Cinema | |
| – | – | – | Wikipedia |
| 32 | Veronika Voss (1982) | Flick Chart | |
| – | – | – | Wikipedia |
| 33 | Wings of Desire (1987) | Wim Wenders | Classic Art Films |
| – | – | – | IMDB |
| 34 | Woyzeck (1979) | Werner Herzog | Flick Chart |
| – | – | – | IMDB |
| 35 | 48 Hours to Acapulco | MUBI | |
| 36 | A Degree of Murder | MUBI | |
| 37 | Beware of a Holy Whore | MUBI | |
| 38 | Bübchen | MUBI | |
| 39 | Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach | MUBI | |
| 40 | Circle of Deceit (1981) | Volker Schlöndorff | IMDB |
| 41 | Cobra Verde (1987) | Werner Herzog | IMDB |
| 42 | Coup de Grâce (1976) | Volker Schlöndorff | IMDB |
| 43 | Deadlock | MUBI | |
| 44 | Detektive | MUBI | |
| 45 | Dream City | MUBI | |
| 46 | Effi Briest | MUBI | |
| 47 | Enigma of Kaspar Hauser, The (1974) | Classic Art Films | |
| 48 | Hunting Scenes from Bavaria | MUBI | |
| 49 | In a Year with 13 Moons (1978) | Rainer Werner Fassbinder | IMDB |
| 50 | It | MUBI | |
| 51 |
It Is Not the Homosexual Who Is Perverse, But the Society in Which He Lives
|
MUBI | |
| 52 | Jonathan | MUBI | |
| 53 | Karl May | MUBI | |
| 54 | Katzelmacher | MUBI | |
| 55 | Kings of the Road (1976) | Wikipedia | |
| 56 | Love Is Colder Than Death | MUBI | |
| 57 | Ludwig: Requiem for a Virgin King | MUBI | |
| 58 | M: A Town Looks for a Murderer | HLC Cult Critic | |
| 59 | Malatesta | MUBI | |
| 60 | Marriage of Maria Braun, The (1979) | Classic Art Films | |
| 61 | Martha | MUBI | |
| 62 | Metropolis | HLC Cult Critic | |
| 63 | Nightshade | MUBI | |
| 64 | No Shooting Time for Foxes | MUBI | |
| 65 | Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror | HLC Cult Critic | |
| 66 |
Not Reconciled, Or Only Violence Helps Where Violence Rules
|
MUBI | |
| 67 | O.K. | MUBI | |
| 68 | Palermo or Wolfsburg | White City Cinema | |
| 69 | People on Sunday | HLC Cult Critic | |
| 70 | Querelle (1982) | Rainer Werner Fassbinder | IMDB |
| 71 | Red Sun | MUBI | |
| 72 | Rosa Luxemburg (1986) | Margarethe von Trotta | IMDB |
| 73 | San Domingo | MUBI | |
| 74 | Sheer Madness (1983) | Margarethe von Trotta | IMDB |
| 75 | Signs of Life | MUBI | |
| 76 | Sisters, or The Balance of Happiness (1979) | Margarethe von Trotta | IMDB |
| 77 | Summer in the City | MUBI | |
| 78 | Table for Love | MUBI | |
| 79 | Tattoo | MUBI | |
| 80 | Tenderness of the Wolves | White City Cinema | |
| 81 | The All-Around Reduced Personality | Film School Rejects | |
| 82 | The American Soldier | MUBI | |
| 83 | The Blue Angel | HLC Cult Critic | |
| 84 | The Boat | HLC Cult Critic | |
| 85 | The Brutalisation of Franz Blum | MUBI | |
| 86 | The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari | HLC Cult Critic | |
| 87 | The Case of Lena Christ | MUBI | |
| 88 | The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach | White City Cinema | |
| 89 | The Death of Maria Malibran | MUBI | |
| 90 | The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick | MUBI | |
| 91 | The Inextinguishable Fire | MUBI | |
| 92 | The Merchant of Four Seasons | MUBI | |
| 93 | The State of Things (1982) | Wim Wenders | IMDB |
| 94 |
The Sudden Wealth of the Poor People of Kombach
|
MUBI | |
| 95 | The Young Törless (1966) | Taste Of Cinema | |
| 96 | Wrong Move (1975) | Wim Wenders | IMDB |
9 Best New German Cinema Film Sources/Lists
| Source | Article |
| Classic Art Films | New German Cinema |
| Film School Rejects | A Beginner’s Guide To New German Cinema |
| Flick Chart | The Best New German Cinema Movies of All Time |
| HLC Cult Critic | New German Cinema |
| IMDB | New German Cinema |
| MUBI | New German Cinema: The Displaced Image |
| Taste Of Cinema | 15 Essential Films For An Introduction To New German Cinema |
| White City Cinema | A New German Cinema Primer |
| Wikipedia | New German Cinema |
